who am i?

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

This is Your Wake-Up Call...

I hate alarm clocks and bells. I attended a boarding school,and it was horrible i tell you.
The bell terrorized my poor soul. I only enjoyed hearing it when it ended some lesson or prep.
When it came to the 'rising bell' or 'siesta over' i could strangle the bell ringer.
The bell would go off at about 5am, just when the sleep was getting 'sweeter' and the early morning Abuja weather beckoned to me to snuggle into my blanky with dreams of being home watching tv with endless plates of my favorite dishes handed to me or performing with Spice girls in some concert.
You had a choice to make if you were in my hostel... you could choose to ignore the bell and sleep on, but that meant choosing to get a nice lashing to shock you out of sleep from matron Zita... her cane was enough to chase every sleeping demon far far away. A harsh way to transit to the reality of bunk beds and discipline from the mirage of the comfort of home and stardom.

As much as we hate the bells and alarms, we really do need them, they help keep us in line. And someone has to keep doing the job of the bell ringer, even if it's a dirty little job... I never liked the bell ringers in school. Today I'll be your matron zita, just incase you've pressed the snooze button for too long or ignored the bell. Today i choose to shock you awake, to shock myself awake again... I'm only doing my job. Remember, don't shoot the messenger for waking you up from your seemingly sweet dream.

A couple of weeks ago my sister and i were at another service of songs of another 'friend' a fine young man, i've known all my life but we've probably never said more than a few words to each other, mostly nods of acknowledgment.
A few days ago, i got a call, a good friend of mine lost her sister, another fine young lady, last i saw her was at the funeral of yet another fine young man(all of them not older than 31)

I asked myself why? And it hit me... this is the wake up call for the youths. It's time to wake up to the reality of life, it owes you nothing.
Its easy to ignore the talks of 'we've got to change'. Pressing the snooze button and ignoring all the talks, wanting to stay forever in that seemingly cozy bed and sweetness of sleep(life). Truth is, staying in bed only brings us to our ruin, we miss out on everything, we're late for everything and more often than not we're punished for that 'one more minute' of sleep. Life as we know it isn't as sweet as we think... clubbing, drunken nights out, sexual freedom... It's time to wake up from all that illusion.

The more the bell rings, the sweeter the pleasures the world offers, it's like its a competition. And you just can't see yourself waking up and leaving all that goodness. Never has there been such freedom, such boldness to do what you've always wanted to do with no one raising an eye brow. Never have you been so popular, and never have you felt so wanted with every man wanting to talk to you. Never mind that your skirt is practically stops on your waist and your boobs are hanging out... the attention you're getting is heady.
Today you've ignored the ringing of the bell for so long, so I'll be a self assigned matron Zita, double checking that no ones still sleeping after the bells gone off.

This verse from proverbs obviously talks about something else, but it fits in to what i'm trying to say "Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare."proverbs 20:13(niv) The more we sleep, the more we loose our soul. It's time to wake up and live the life of abundance we were created to live, abundance in peace, joy, love, kindness, purity.....

The deaths have definitely been a lash on my back. I keep thinking and wondering, whats life worth beyond our eagerness to be married, to get that job, to make that much money, to be famous, to wear that dress.... to look beautiful? its worth nothing without God. If I'm getting the houses and the cars and the fame and dying the next minute without God then what's the point? Not just God in the sense that we wear a blingbling gold cross, but God in the sense that he's imprinted in our hearts and our life is about living to please him and not caving into the demands of our flesh.

The alarm has been ringing none stop. How many more youngsters do we have to see die before we start living right? before we take things as seriously as we should? Before we spring out of bed to start living?
If we dropped dead at this moment, where would we go? I ask myself this question as i type this.

I'm not perfect, but I'm working on it, at least I'm awake now, I'm no more asleep and its easier to shower and get ready for life. This is our wake up call. Got Jesus?

"You and i have need of the strongest spell that can be found to wake us from the evil enchantment of worldliness" C.S Lewis

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It's my favorite only brothers birthday today. My own personal Prince. I'd give him the world and some if i could... But I'll give him something much more than the world, I give him my prayers and my love that's much more than numbers :)

what would it profit a man if he gains the whole world but lose his own soul? indeed it is a goodthing to take time out to really think of what's next after life! where we would spend eternity! I pray our way is right before God when our bell rings for us to return to our maker. Happy birthday to ur brother!:)